


It Takes One

by AsteroidMiyoko



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-02-16 17:25:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18695995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsteroidMiyoko/pseuds/AsteroidMiyoko
Summary: The relationships in my Ideal AU, as described by the ones who came before.





	1. Charlie and Bumblebee

~~~~~~~~~~

Optimus stood watch by the door to the abandoned warehouse that the small group of Autobots had found soon after landing and regrouping on the human homeworld. It was remote enough that they didn't have to be quiet, though for security they used comms only sparingly, and it was peaceful to hear their animated conversation interspersed with the sound of the native _Gryllus campestris_ on the short summer nights.

As always, Bumblebee told the story of his adventure in stops and starts, speaking of Shatter and Dropkick with narrowed optics and expressive servos. And as always, Wheeljack pressed him for details with the sort of glee that unnerved those who didn't recognise the defense mechanism for what it was.

"What was the last thing the con said to you again? Before you pulled the chain?"

But there were subtle changes that Optimus noticed, in each subsequent retelling. His scout had made an admirable substitute for his own vocoder out of radio broadcasts, and his vocabulary was extensive. Moreover, he'd sampled so many different types of voices that he could string together sentences that almost seemed like one voice if one were not listening too closely. The detail and atmosphere he was able to put into the story increased, and yet, the beginning never changed.

"I landed on Earth, fought Blitzwing, and had to go into stasis for repair until the other cons showed up."

Bumblebee said it in a way that suggested that he was doing them all a favor by getting to the good part. But he sometimes stuttered over the word "repair," and Optimus grew to understand that he was keeping the good part to himself.

The part that made the rest of it possible. Bearable.

~

"My name is Bumblebee."

The tone of his name never changed. Not when his processor began to slowly write additional subroutines to make way for his new method of communcation, not when he was able to almost seamlessly turn recorded human tones into an approximation of his old voice. Not even when Optimus transfered the hundreds of recordings he'd been collecting for him, including a documentary on insect pollinators of Earth.

~

When Optimus caught Bee unawares, it was only because he was completely distracted, staring into the middle distance, optics flickering with internal recall. A soft voice, undiscernable, played from his speakers.

He startled when Optimus sat down next to him, cutting the recording off quickly, and attempting some sort of salute.

"Peace, Bumblebee. I apologize for not announcing myself."

Bee fidgeted, little blips of now rare static escaping as he considered what to say, until Optimus laid a settling servo on his arm.

"You met someone." he said quietly.

"Not just someone." Bee replied, and it sounded so close to his old voice that Optimus could almost believe they were back home.

He squeezed Bee's arm, an anchoring gesture for himself as much as for the scout.

"Oh, Bumblebee. I am sorry."

~

He wasn't looking at the screen when the transmission came in to their new base at Omega One, almost two years after they'd arrived. One of the human governments had agreed to let them use a left-over silo, probably in the hopes that the Autobots would be at their beck and call in case of emergency. Nevertheless, Optimus was relieved to have somewhere to plan and build.

And it was during one of his planning sessions, staring at a datapad of numbers, that he heard Bee's voice piping over one of the security feeds from outside Omega One.

But Bumblebee wasn't in the habit of announcing his return with his own name-

{I'm here to see Bumblebee!} called a voice that Optimus knew well.

The security routines in his processor caught up with him; no one was supposed to _know_ about Omega One, much less be able to march right up and knock on the rock wall obscuring it. A quick scan indicated one human, and no one else for miles. The video feed showed a figure pacing back and forth, calling out at regular intervals.

He commed Bumblebee, on patrol with Arcee and Jazz.

"Bumblebee, I'm bridging you back. I have something that needs your attention."

"Uh, sure, Boss."

The swirling lights of the ground bridge unfurled and Bee rolled in, shifting as the funnel receded into its generator. He approached, head tilted in curiosity.

"What's up, Opti-"

{Bee, I know you're in there!}

Bee's EM field burst with disbelief and hope, slamming against Optimus with an almost physical charge, and he spun towards the screen. For a moment, the silence seemed absolute; even Bee's innermost cooling fan was frozen while his systems caught up with what he was seeing, and then, he was a whirl of motion.

"I need to-"

Optimus nodded, and within moments Bee was outside of Omega One.

On the security feed, Optimus watched as he fell to his knees, opening his arms so that the human could fly into them and disappear into the curl of his frame.

~

When Bee told his story again days later, he did so with a servo wrapped gently around the human, Charlie, as she leaned comfortably against his side. Every now and then she smiled up at him, or squeezed his servo, causing Bee to stutter on whichever word was halfway out of his speaker.

The story hadn't gotten any longer, Optimus noticed, checking his chronometer, but the focus shifted.

I came to Earth.  
Met a girl.  
Remembered who I was.  
And then, well, I've told you the rest.

~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Memo and Steve

"Yeah, mom… yeah, sorry-"

Charlie shifted on her feet, tapping the toe of her right shoe against Bee's leg. He playfully tapped her back, faceplates tilting as she stuck her tongue out at him. She was supposed to visit her family, her friends, it was all planned. But in the last couple of days they had detected increased con activity unnervingly close to a human military base, so they wanted Charlie at base in case repairs were needed after a recon mission.

"No, yeah, definitely. I'll try to visit in a few weeks. Mm hm. Mm hm. Love you too."

~

"What do you mean, Memo's been taken?!"

~

Arcee reacted the quickest, snatching Charlie up in a hold before she could hit the button that would activate the groundbridge. She hissed in frustration at Arcee's words, whispered against the side of her head.

"No! Let me go!"

"C…" Bumblebee said, tones placating.

She whipped around to face him, and he could tell even from her weak field that she was angry, scared.

"Bee, we can't just…we have to save him!"

"I know, C. I know. We'll think of something."

~

Days earlier she'd called and tried to leave a message, but Memo's home answering system must have been full because he never called her back. And then she'd forgotten to try again later to let him know she wouldn't be around for her bi-monthly visit.

Bee hated to see her sad, hated to see how her voice would lower when she realized she'd have to miss a visit. She'd taken it seriously when she said she had people who needed her, said that she wanted to keep in regular contact with everyone, make a serious effort to be a good daughter and friend.

He wasn't jealous. Even years later he sometimes felt the need to go to one of the other Autobots, lean his head against them, listen to the pulsing of their spark, to reassure himself that they were here, and whole, and safe. So, Bee understood.

Which is why, when Charlie made the connection that Memo had been captured in lieu of herself, a victim of place and time, when the days stretched out with no sign of him dead or alive, Bee stood by as she screamed and threw scrap metal at the wall of their habsuite.

~

Miraculously, two weeks later, Memo's biosignature appeared suddenly in a forest on the California coast. Bee didn't even try to stop Charlie as she raced through the bridge and caught her wavering friend before he hit the ground.

"H-hey, Charlie..."

"Oh my god, ok, Memo, it's going to be alright-"

"Mom." she said, into her portable coms that could be patched into human land-lines, "I need you to bring your kit and come to the base right now."

~

Bee was still getting used to the ways that humans expressed their emotions on their faces instead of through glyph modifiers, but there was no mistaking the way that Memo flinched when any of the other Autobots approached too quietly.

As the three of them sat together, Memo covered in bruises and stitches, it wasn't hard to guess that he'd been subject to the Decepticons usual methods of obtaining information several times over the period of his capture. Charlie wrapped her small arms around him, and Bee gathered them both close, and tried to project _safety love_ until Memo cried himself into recharge.

~

"What are they doing?" Ratchet asked as he peered at the screen.

Jazz frowned. "It looks like they're just… sitting there?"

A Decepticon grunt, a vehicon, was indeed sitting on a rocky ridge fifty or so miles away. They had no weapons activated and were emitting no particular signals.

"I know who that is." came Memo's small voice from the doorway to the control center. Jazz turned, frown turning to something more serious.

"Is that the slag-eater who captured you?"

Memo shook his head, favoring his left leg as he approached them.

"No…that's… he's um, the one who helped me escape."

The Autobots exchanged a look, and it was Bee who spoke up. "Memo, that may have been…"

"A trap. Yeah, I know, I thought about that," he said with a sigh, "But it's not."

~

An hour later found Memo and Bee approaching the vehicon while Prowl, Arcee, and Charlie hid close by. Bee did absolutely nothing to restrain the anger in his em field, though he did try to direct it away from Memo.

The vehicon seemed surprised to see them, but he didn't move at all, keeping his hands at his sides.

"Memo." he said, and Bee was taken aback at the softness of his voice.

"Steve."

"I'm glad you're safe."

~

"I want to meet with him again." Memo said, some days later as they consumed their morning food.

Charlie almost choked on her oatmeal. "What!?"

He leaned forward over his own bowl and said almost teasingly, "Who has the authority to stop me?"

She looked at Bee who shrugged.

~

Charlie thought she knew what Memo looked like when he was in love; she wasn't completely oblivious in those early days. He was awkward, second-guessed himself, utterly charming in a helpless sort of way.

But she was wrong, she realized, as he stood in front of the mirror with a confident smile.

~

They all sat in the control center, taking some precious time to relax between missions. Prowl and Jazz were arguing animatedly about a human law regarding something called Eminent Domain. Wheeljack was trying to get Optimus to agree to an arm wrestling contest while Ratchet fussed at them about giving him more work to do when they bent their joints out of alignment. Arcee and Bulkhead were watching some human sitcom while Charlie explained the details of the show to them. And Bee lay there, arms behind his head, listening to music.

Memo's soft footsteps reached his audial sensors before his tiny human em field did.

Wait.

Bee sat up quickly, swivelling his helm towards his human friend who was absolutely radiating worry.

"Is everything ok?"

Memo crossed the distance of the room and grabbed one of Bee's servos tightly, speaking with a cracking voice, "I think something is wrong, Bee."

~

"Get mad at him later, Boss." Charlie said, quietly, as Bee and Ratchet helped the injured con sit down on the medberth.

"For what reason would I be 'mad'?" Optimus asked, watching the con settle in for repairs as Memo stood by, hands twitching as if wanting to reach out. "Can I get mad at him for being captured? For convincing one of our enemies to abandon their mission? For falling in love?"

Charlie nodded. "As long as you understand."

He smiled. "You're a good friend, Charlie Watson."

~

Bee and Charlie knew they were intruding on something private; they'd just wanted to check on them, banish any lingering doubts that the Decepticons had somehow planned everything.

Memo lay there, tucked into the crook of Steve's arm, running a finger along a weld which was necesitated by a well-aimed shot from one of the other cons during Steve's escape. He was whispering something, something which caused Steve to carefully pull him closer.

And then the dimly lit medbay was lit with a pale blue light, and Bee and Charlie quickly closed the door.


	3. Knockout x Breakdown

They didn't stay at Omega One for long - just long enough for Steve to get well and then he and Memo were off to some deserted piece of land they'd found on one of their earlier meetings. The plan was to build a home, maybe have a little farm; Memo would finish his degree, Steve would take a totally innocuous alt-form, and they would stay as far away from the war as possible.

They were seasons into that project when a particularly bitter cold snap coincided with Memo's winter break from his PhD program, and so they decided to visit the others.

Steve watched fondly as Memo laughed at Charlie's voice that was floating out of the communication device Ratchet had shrunk to fit on his wrist. 

{Hey, Memo…}

"Hm?" Memo walked over to where Steve was sitting on the porch of the farmhouse and leaned against his shoulder with a smile.

{Steve, I know you're there too,} Charlie said, {So I'll just tell you, um… I think it's going to be fine, but we've had some additions to the crew.}

"I know," Steve replied, "You mentioned the kids last time. I promise I'll be careful; Ratchet was able to install those sensors so I won't accidentally step on anyone."

There was a bit of quiet on the line.

{No, I mean, a couple of mechs that you probably know.}

Steve's helm tilted in thought. He didn't know that many mechs, except for when he'd been, well, otherwise employed.

"Wait, ex-cons?" Memo blurted, connecting the dots when Steve glanced at him. "When did that happen?"

Charlie cleared her throat. {Three months… or so?}

"Is that saf-" Memo cut himself off with a guilty wince. "I didn't mean that, Steve."

A large hand pressed gently on his back as Steve murmured, "No, it is a bit suspicious."

~

As they walked through the ground bridge, Memo looked around nervously for approximately one second before he was tackled in a hug by Charlie and Bumblebee. No surprise there.

What was surprising was the cheerful booming voice that came from the doorway, "STEVE!" followed by a softer, "Ah, so _that's_ what happened to you."

Steve whirled around to see Breakdown with a wide grin on his face, and Knockout rolling his optics good-naturedly. They looked… happy, relaxed, and before he knew it, Steve was taking a few steps forward and wrapping his arms around both of them.

"Hey, watch the finish!" Knockout complained with no real heat, while Breakdown just laughed.

Life with Memo was wonderful, perfect, for any reasonable definition of the word, but Steve realized he'd missed his _friends_ over the last year. Breakdown had been the only one to call him by his chosen name immediately, to talk to him like was an important member of the crew. Knockout, he didn't know as well, but Breakdown was a good influence on him and over time the doctor had become almost caring in his medical duties towards the vehicons. Almost.

~

"I seduced him, and he had no choice but to follow me." Knockout said with a delicate shrug as they sat on the floor in their room.

Steve laughed loudly around his energon cube, and Breakdown sputtered, waving his servos defensively.

"No way! I made the first move!"

"I dunno," Steve said, optic bar flickering in amusement, " _You_ making the first move…"

Knockout laughed while Breakdown flopped back against the side of the berth with a groan.

~

Breakdown sat very still as Knockout finished buffing a scratch out of his forearm plate untl the blue shone like new. The doctor made a little satisfied noise and leaned down to-

"Uh, Knocks, we've got company."

Memo grinned from his place leaning against the railing on one of the upper platforms. "Oh, don't mind me."

Knockout paused, studying Breakdown's face for a moment before settling for running a digit over the place where the scratch had been, smiling.

"Sorry about that," Memo said, after Breakdown had gone back to his duties. "I wasn't really trying to intrude, just, watching the work is interesting." He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the ground floor.

Shrugging, Knockout began tidying up the medical area. "He's… around people he doesn't know well, he… well, he values privacy."

Memo nodded, his eyes crinkling as a thought occurred to him. "Pardon me for saying so, but, who'd have thought that you're the protective one."

"You're one to talk."

~

~Months Later~

{Are you sure this is ok?} Breakdown asked, quietly on comms to Steve as they walked through the groundbridge.

"Of course I am. It's our house and we're the ones who invited you."

{Hm.}

The pair exited the bridge at the end of the yard in front of the farmhouse, new summer grass folding under their pedes. Knockout opened his mouth to speak, and Breakdown quickly gave him a look.

"What? I was just going to say this is very, uh, pleasant."

"Took you long enough!" Memo called from the doorway. "Come inside!"

"How long can you stay?" he asked, once everyone was sat around the living room.

Breakdown shrugged. "We don't want to intrude, but, a week?"

"Then we're off to do some sight-seeing." Knockout added, settling in to lean against his partner. Con activity over the past few months had been surprisingly scant (or maybe not so surprising, since they were running out of officers); enough so that everyone had been able to take a little time off. They'd even convinced Ratchet, though it probably had something to do with Wheeljack's little cabin in the woods he'd recently built.

"Not thinking of retiring, are you?" Steve asked, mildly.

"No way." Breakdown laughed, "This guy with too much spare time is…dangerous."

"Damn right I am."

~

Memo watched, smiling, as their guests sat outside on the porch, turned into each other and speaking quietly. He felt a gentle hand rest over his abdomen from behind.

"You're spying." Steve murmured as Memo leaned back against him.

"Oh, and you just came over here to bug me?"

"Maybe."

Knockout's clear laugh, and Breakdown's rougher one, rose up from their dimly lit figures and through the night air.


	4. Optimus and Starscream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to everone who read the first chapter and was like, "Ah, feelings." And then is about to read this absolute crack. XD

"You know, there's an Earth saying…" Knockout couldn't help but point out, "Three times is enemy action."

There was an audible thunk to his left as Breakdown's servo met his face. "Aw man, don't put it like _that_."

Arcee ex-vented loudly. "There's no 'three times' because it's not like that," she insisted, with a slight aire of desperation. "You cons just keep getting injured, and we keep rescuing you, and its against the code to just let you sit there and rust out, and… ok, it's exactly like that."

"See?" Knockout said, smugly, "Suspicious."

"BABE. STOP. Please."

~

_Three Hours Earlier_

"We're ho~ome!" Knockout called, as he and Breakdown strolled through the groundbridge back to Omega One. 

Breakdown gave a nod of gratitude to Bulkhead, who was manning the controls. They'd had to come to a sort of peace fairly quickly, what with being the only two mechs in the group with any sense. He was about to start telling him about their trip when a familiar voice echoed from another room, getting louder as it approached.

"Obviously that won't work…"

Beside him, Knockout froze, optics cycling quickly like they always did when he was nervous.

Bulkhead shifted on his pedes. "Oh yeah, about that."

From the direction of the labs came Starscream, walking with just a bit of a limp, followed closely by Optimus Prime who had his servos clasped casually behind his back, like his enemy's SIC wasn't _hanging out in his secret base_.

"No." Knockout said, voice cracking just slightly. "No way."

Starscream's helm whpped up when he noticed their presence, clearly fighting the urge to drop into a defensive stance.

"Ah, hell." Breakdown mumbled as he maneuvered in front of Knockout, just in case.

No one moved for a moment, and then Starscream rounded on Optimus, causing the taller mech to take a step back. "So this is how it is? You're turning me over!?"

"No, Starscream it's not-"

Breakdown commed Bulkhead, who was looking for all the world like he was trying to ignore the whole situation. {Whose idea was it to keep this close to the chest?}

{Not mine, buddy.}

"You two!" Starscream yelled, pointing accusingly, "Trying to get back into the Decepticons' good graces by bringing me in?"

Knockout, who had been relaxing more and more as the moments ticked by, stepped out from behind Breakdown with a grin; the sort of grin that meant he'd figured something out.

"First of all," he said, "Why would bringing _you_ in get us in anyone's good graces? Second of all-"

"Nope!" Breakdown said loudly, cutting him off. "We're going to our room and we will see you all later!" He grabbed Knockout's hand and dragged him off, despite his protests. It was never a good idea to let him get to 'second of all.'

~

"Alright, fine. Want to know what I really think?" Knockout asked, gleefully.

"Probably not." Arcee grimaced.

"Suit yourself! All will be revealed in time."

~

Early the next morning, Breakdown strolled down the hall to get to his shift at the monitors, when the Seeker stepped out in front of him, scowling.

"Uh, morning, Screamer."

He frowned slightly as Starscream stalked closer to him and leaned in.

"Do NOT mess this up for me." he said, before turning and walking away quickly.

Mess what up?

"Mess what up?" Breakdown asked again later when he and Knockout met up for lunch.

Knockout choked on his energon chip. "He really said that!?"

Breakdown nodded, reaching over to steal the last couple of chips from the plate.

The doctor sat back in his chair, looking very pleased with himself. "You know, I think Primus may have blessed me with psychic abilities."

"Oh?" Breakdown tried to arch an optic ridge, but he'd only ever been able to do it with the one that was now damaged.

"It's the only explanation."

Leaning in to give Knockout a light kiss on the side of his helm before they returned to work, Breakdown stood. "If you say so."

~

There was another side of his theory Knockout had to test, one that could be more difficult. As they worked, Knockout doing maintenance on some medical tools, and Optimus on a data pad looking over requisitons, they traded small-talk that eventually faded out into silence.

A completely predictable amount of time into their shift, Optimus put his work down and turned back to Knockout.

"A question, if you don't mind the interruption." he said, slowly.

Knockout took his time fiddling with a small piece of the welder he was working on, and then looked up. "Hm?" The Prime's expression was some mixture of determined and worried that only Autobots could manage.

"Do you think Starscream is…settling in well?"

Unable to stiffle a laugh, Knockout shrugged. "Are you asking if I think he's going to turn on you? Are you asking if he's plotting your downfall as we speak?"

"Well-"

"Wait. No, if you really thought he was up to something like that, and were asking me, that would mean you thought I was either in on it or letting it happen, and _that's_ not the vibe I'm getting right now."

Optimus shifted uncomfortably.

"You want to know if Screamer is _happy_??"

"I suppose, yes."

_Put that earnest face away, you poor poor mech._

Knockout kicked his pedes up on to the work table nad folded his arms. "I mean, it's hard to say. I think I can count on one servo the number of times I've seen him in a good mood. The guy doesn't relax, doesn't joke around, doesn't let anyone within field range because of, you know, assassination…" He could have gone on, but Knockout was pretty sure he'd gotten his point across. And Optimus seemed to understand, turning the information over in his processor and then smiling.

Hang on, smiling?

"Thank you, Knockout. I appreciate your candor."

"Uh, sure. Anytime."

WHAT.

~

"Breakdown!"

"Hm?"

"I thought it was just a weird fragging-thing! There's feelings involved!"

"…Babe, we're conjunx."

"Not us. I mean, yes us, but them too!"

~

Several days later found Knockout and Breakdown on patrol a few miles away from base. They were finishing up and about to head back, when the sound of jet engines roared just overhead. Starscream landed in a cloud of dust a few feet ahead and immediately headed towards them as they shifted to root mode.

"Ah, how nostalgic." Knockout said wistfully as Breakdown turned down the volume on his audials, and just in time too.

"What did you say to him!?" Starscream demanded, pointing a finger at them.

Shrugging, Knockout ignored the twitching of the Seeker's servos, his 'I want to use my null ray but its not the right moment' tell. "You're going to have to be more specific."

"Yeah, Screamer," Breakdown added, side-eyeing both of them, "He's been going on about this for a while, so you'll need to narrow it down."

"Exact- hey!"

Starscream threw his arms up and turned around. "Nevermind!" he said, mumbling something about useless ex-colleagues as he started to walk away.

"You could help, you know." Breakdown murmured, "Since it is sort of your fault."

"It's really not."

…

"Fraggit, ok, fine. Screamer, come back!"

He ignored them, about to jump back into the air.

"Come on," Knockout called again, "We're the only two around who you can talk to about this stuff!"

"You're not the only couple at Omega One!" he yelled back, though he did stop walking.

"Your other options are to ask Memo and Steve, who will just tell you to retire and write poetry or something, or to ask C-127 who may or may not put their clothes on long enough to answer."

He thought he heard Starscream laugh, just a bit.

~

"Wait, I still don't see what the problem is." Breakdown said, after several minutes of listening to Starscream detail his interactions with Optimus. "Seems like he's just being more open around you. Flirting a bit?"

Knockout flicked a bit of dirt off of his arm, "Yeah, seems like everything is going well?"

"UGH. But what if it _doesn't_ go well?"

"Then we'll run away to the farm and get you absolutely slag-faced drunk, ey, Breaks?"

Breakdown nodded and clapped Starscream on the shoulder.

~

The morning of the next round-table meeting, mostly everyone was sitting down talking amongst themselves when Optimus and Starscream walked in. They almost got away with a quick servo clasp before heading to their seats without anyone seeing.

Almost.

Ratchet looked at Optimus, who lasted about point-five seconds under his friend's glare before getting the dopiest grin on his face, and then at Starscream, who just looked smug.

And then there was no controling the comments after that. Chaos was too strong a word, but there was a surprising amount of Surprised Autobot posturing going on.

"Hang on, hang on." Knockout said, as the room finally quieted down at Optimus' insistance. "Are you saying _none_ of you suspected?"

Silence.

"How in the multitudinal pits did we never manage to-"

Breakdown scrambled to intercept. "TELETRAN! Please, for the love of Primus, strike the last statement from the record."


End file.
